


Learn to Run

by hilaryfaye



Series: Careful, She Bites [2]
Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: F/F, Fem!Pitch, Genderswap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-13
Updated: 2013-02-13
Packaged: 2017-11-29 02:56:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/681923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hilaryfaye/pseuds/hilaryfaye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She sorted through each of the memories, mouth drawn taut. It had taken years to learn how Toothiana called up the memories, but like the dreamsand it had bent to her will soon enough. She plucked up a rather nasty memory--not an overwhelming one, but strong enough to suit her purposes. The child was nearly grown up... it was time they learn to run.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Learn to Run

Shafts of weak light poured through the cavern, just enough to wake Pitch. The Nightmare Queen stirred, pulling her hair out of her face. Generally, she didn’t have much need of sleep, and she couldn’t remember what had caused her to take the opportunity today.

Until she rolled over and came face to face with the Tooth Fairy.

Toothiana was still asleep, her wings twitching as she murmured under her breath. She looked very peaceful, still caught in her dreams. Nothing like the fierce little creature who had been so busy raking her fingernails down Pitch’s back the night before, crying out to the high heavens.

Pitch smirked, reaching to trace her fingers over those iridescent feathers. Normally Pitch liked to bite, just a little, but it hadn’t seemed wise to sink her teeth into so much plumage.

Tooth turned, whimpering and stretching. Pitch watched her wake, remembering Toothiana’s head thrown back, short cries more like birdsong than words escaping her throat. She traced the back of a knuckle along the curve of Tooth’s cheek, wondering if the Guardian was playing some game with her. It would be so easy to believe she was toying with Pitch…

But the Guardians didn’t toy. They were too honest for their own good, too noble.

Tooth blinked awake, seeming not to remember where she was. She looked up at Pitch and did the strangest thing.

She smiled.

Pitch bent, covering that smile with a kiss. Tooth murmured, running her fingers through Pitch’s hair. Her eyes were soft and her movements lazy. “I should go,” she murmured, but she made no move to get out of bed. “My fairies…”

Pitch pulled Tooth on top of her, running her hands down Tooth’s sides. “They’ve waited a night, they can wait a little while longer.”

Tooth bent over, playing with Pitch’s hair. She touched her forehead to Pitch’s, sighing. “I’m sorry, I have to go. The others will wonder where I’ve been.”

Pitch watched her. “And what will you tell them?”

Tooth shrugged. “I don’t know.” She climbed off the bed. Pitch rolled in the other direction, collecting her robes. 

“I would understand.”

Tooth looked back at her. “What?”

“If you kept me a secret. If you told no one.”

Tooth bit her lip. “I don’t like to keep secrets from them.”

Pitch looked over her shoulder, face unreadable. She shrugged, the shadowy robes spinning around her until she was clothed again. Pitch pulled the mass of her black hair back, brushing through it with her fingers. Tooth flew over, stealing a quick kiss that surprised Pitch. Tooth smiled again, stroking Pitch’s cheek with her thumb. “I’ll see you soon.”

Pitch nodded, not able to come up with anything to say. Tooth darted past her and up through the cavern, into the morning sky. 

She couldn’t quite name what it was she felt. Perhaps exhilaration. Perhaps dread. Sometime soon, she would have to tell the others, and she couldn’t anticipate how they would react. 

Perhaps, Tooth thought, she could leave out the bit about the teeth. 

But no, no they wouldn’t understand at all unless she explained that. 

She wouldn’t tell them all at once, she decided. She would tell Sandman first--he seemed most likely to understand, and he could help her with the others. North, second, because he would be willing to listen for her sake. With them on her side, she could handle Jack, and they would tell Bunny last, because he seemed the least likely to accept it.

With a plan, Toothiana felt a little better. 

She was almost back to her palace when a horrible thought occurred to her.

What if MiM knew, and had already told the others? 

That would ruin everything.

She shot back into her palace, and her fairies could sense her agitation. Tooth did her best to be calm, but she had to see Sandy, and soon. 

 

The mermaid waved to Tooth as she flew towards Sandy’s island, and seemed puzzled when the usually friendly Guardian only gave them a quick nod. 

Tooth dropped to the sand, biting the inside of her lip. Oh, please let him be here! “Sandy? Sandy!”

Sandman appeared rubbing his eyes. She’d woken him. He shook his head and looked up at her, a question mark forming over his head. Tooth bit her lip almost painfully hard. “Sandy, I need to tell you something... and I need your help.”

Sandy’s eyebrows rose. He took Tooth by the hand and guided her inside his home, the question mark blinking in concern. 

“It’s about Pitch.”

A worried look.

“No, no, she’s not doing anything like last time. I found something out though, something we should have known years ago.”

Sandy listened without interruption, though concern and then surprise colored his expression. The dreamsand formed above his head in the shape of Tooth and Pitch, hand in hand, along with a question mark. Tooth wrung her hands, and nodded. 

Sandy seemed troubled, and folded his hands together while he thought. The dreamsand took the shape of the others, in a line.

“No, I haven’t told anyone else. I thought... I thought you might be able to help me with that.”

Sandy thought for another long moment. He took Tooth’s hand again, and smiled with a nod. Tooth hugged him tightly in relief. “Oh, thank you so much, Sandy.”

 

Pitch ran her fingertips over the small box in her hands, lips pursed. It was no joy, to have to do this, only the knowledge that it had to be done.

Fearless children often ended up being lifeless children. 

She slipped the box into a pocket of her robes, slipping through the shadows. Fear was a creature of many forms, and trauma was one of Pitch’s least favorite. It stank of cheating, and while Pitch was no stranger to foul play, somehow this was different.

She lurked outside the house where the child was sleeping. What memory would she pluck up this time? The child had hidden for a long time. Perhaps it was time to encourage them to run away. 

She sorted through each of the memories, mouth drawn taut. It had taken years to learn how Toothiana called up the memories, but like the dreamsand it had bent to her will soon enough. She plucked up a rather nasty memory--not an overwhelming one, but strong enough to suit her purposes. The child was nearly grown up... it was time they learn to run. 

“Pitch!”

She nearly jumped, clutching the small box over her heart as she looked up, a snarl forming on her face. “Frost,” she hissed. “What do you want?”

The boy was no end of trouble, and Pitch would have been happy if he left well enough alone. 

Frost was perched on a power line, staff in hand. “So. You and Tooth.”

Pitch slipped the box behind her back. “Is there a point to this, Frost, or can I get on with it?”

“You do anything to hurt her, we’ll all come after you,” Jack said. If he was trying to look menacing, he was failing. He was too much a boy to scare Pitch. 

Pitch’s eyes narrowed. “Spare me your bravado, Frost. I have work to do.”

So, they knew. Frost leapt into the wind, calling out--“We’ll be keeping an eye on you.”

“I think the little hummingbird can take care of herself,” Pitch spat. Or had they all forgotten that Tooth could get rather too friendly with her swords? Pitch watched Frost go and slipped into the shadows of the house, furiously stalking through the halls. Would that she was stronger--when she was strong, she had an effect over adults that couldn’t be matched. 

As it was, the child would have to do. “Time to run away, love,” Pitch murmured, pulling out the tooth she needed. “Only the dead don’t fear.”

 

Tooth didn’t fail to note the shadowy figure lurking at the edges of her palace. The fairies all avoided Pitch, but it looked like Pitch had little interest in advancing beyond the outside walls. “Pitch?”

Pitch looked uncomfortable, her arms folded close over her chest and her eyes turned just slightly away from Tooth’s gaze. “I brought you something.”

Tooth didn’t really know what to expect, but Pitch pressed it into her hand, seeming embarrassed. 

“I’m afraid I’m not as good at making things as North,” Pitch said, “But I thought you might like it.”

Tooth smiled, cradling the little figure in her hands. It was a detailed figure of one of her fairies, shaped from black gold, with little amethysts for eyes. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered. 

Pitch hesitated, and smiled. 

“Come inside,” Tooth said, taking her hand.

Pitch looked beyond her to the swarm of smaller fairies. “I don’t imagine they would appreciate that.”

“They don’t bite,” Tooth said, and with a wicked grin she added, “But I will.”

Pitch smirked. “I’m counting on it.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to everyone for the feedback and the encouragement, it means a lot to me. :)


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